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Month: February 2020

From building and construction to law and engineering, professionals in many industries are required to undergo regular training in order to stay up to date with all the latest changes and innovations. In many industries, this training is crucial as it ensures professionals are aware of changing safety standards and it disseminates knowledge throughout the country. This training is generally provided by leading businesses and organisations within a field. for example receiving regular training on how to maintain modern render can set you up to make better informed decisions.

As well as informing and educating, taking part in relevant training sessions, seminars and workshops gives participants a chance to improve their professional credentials and stay ahead in the workplace. Helping them to perform their work to the very best of their capabilities, professional development is essential for anyone with ambition to be the best in their business.

What is CPD?

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. This continuing development is important in a lot of industries and many professionals are required to undertake CPD in order to ensure their skills are as up to date and as relevant as possible. In some cases, professionals can lose their license to practice, or lose their membership of a professional body if they do not complete a certain number of hours of CPD per year.

CPD can take many forms but, in general, it involves taking part in training courses, talks and seminars. These sessions are often lead by professionals who have extensive experience in their field and most are specifically designed to inform and educate those working in a particular industry. We are currently running a CPD series on how to maintain modern render.

Why are they good?

Continuing professional development is incredibly important as it ensures people working in a fast-paced industry are able to keep up with the latest innovations. CPD also helps to ensure that the knowledge these professionals have already gained is kept fresh and relevant.

For example, building surveyors can use CPD to learn about new building techniques, new regulations and new maintenance processes. This up to date knowledge can then be directly implemented when they are on the job, giving their clients the benefit of their cutting edge knowhow and expertise. Render cleaning for example can be particularly specialist and learning more about the suitable maintenance options could help surveyors a great deal!

Completing relevant CPD allows professionals to be more effective in the workplace and make a more meaningful contribution to their teams. This can be a big advantage for those who want to excel in their chosen career and become a thought leader in their industry.

As CPD gives professionals a chance to meet and swap ideas, it isalso a great opportunity to advance knowledge and innovation within a particular area. This can lead to improved safety standards, better regulation and more sustainability within an industry, all of which will benefit customers as well as practitioners.

The importance of CPD should not be underestimated. Without this ongoing training, professionals may struggle to keep their knowledge up to date. This could have an impact on safety standards and prevent these professionals from providing customers with a good service.

From a customer’s point of view, CPD is important as it ensures the professional services they receive are up to date and relevant. If professionals were not required to complete a set number of CPD hours per year, their knowledge of their industry could soon become obsolete. As it is, regular CPD training helps to keep industry standards high across the board and ensures practitioners do not lag behind or become stagnant in their professional approach.

Why do surveyors have to complete 20 hours of CPD per year?

According to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, members have to complete 20 hours of CPD every year. Of this, at least 10 hours must be formal CPD. The remainder can be informal, but still needs to meet certain standards in order to count towards the total.

Things in the building and construction industry can move fast. New materials, new building techniques and new standards mean that this crucial industry is constantly evolving and innovating. If they did not complete their annual CPD, surveyors could soon be left behind.

By undertaking a minimum of 20 hours of CPD per year, surveyors have the opportunity to refresh their skills and learn about a range of innovations and changes in their industry. This can help them to find new solutions to existing problems and ensures they are able to carry out their job to the highest possible standard.

The exact CPD a surveyor completes will be up to them. There are various options available around the country, covering a wide range of relevant topics and areas of interest. When deciding which CPD to undertake, it is important surveyors make sure the sessions they choose are formal CPD if they want it to count towards the total. This could be something like our ‘how to maintain modern render” CPD.

Learn about our patented rend care system on an upcoming CPD

As we have already seen, CPD allows professionals to learn about new and exciting innovations in their industry. Our patented rend care system is a great example of this. Designed to remove stains and algae from the surface of modern render without the need for scaffolding and heavy machinery, our system enables property owners to clean their buildings effectively and efficiently.

Using super-heated steam and specialist biocide treatments, our operatives are able to restore modern render to its original aesthetic condition. As our team work from ropes rather than scaffolding or heavy machinery, this cleaning work can be carried out quickly and efficiently, with minimal disruption to the property owners or the people using the building.

In order to help surveyors understand the benefits of our system, we’ll be running free CPD around the country. Taking place throughout February and March, these events will give participants the opportunity to learn how our innovative, cost-effective and efficient system can benefit them and their customers.

If you’re interested in joining one of our CPD sessions, or if you’d like to learn more about our system and our services, please explore our site or send us an email at hello@spectrumss.co.uk today.

One of the most important parts of looking after a large commercial or residential building is maintaining the exterior. If the outside of a building is in poor decorative condition, it will leave the property looking tired and unattractive. What’s more, if the render hasn’t been cleaned for a while and is in a bad state, it could be letting water penetrate into the fabric of the building, potentially causing long term damage.

If you’re currently planning a schedule of works for your commercial or residential buildings, here are a few reasons why render cleaning should be right at the top of your To Do list.

Long term damage

One of the biggest risks of not cleaning the render on your property is long term damage. All major manufacturers of modern render, including K Rend, Sto, and Weber, recommend render is cleaned on a regular basis in order to keep it in good condition.

Cleaning render gives you the opportunity to remove any algae that’s built up on the surface of the building. Over time, these algae can cause staining and begin to damage the render itself. When a building is cleaned, it also gives you the chance to take a close up look at the structure and identify any leaks, cracks or other issues that might cause you problems.

Council “eyesore” fines

UK councils require property owners and management companies to properly maintain the exterior of their buildings. If a structure falls into disrepair or if the exterior of the property becomes especially dirty or unattractive, the council can impose an ‘eyesore’ fine on the owner. As well as paying the fine, the owner will be required to cover the cost of cleaning works.

Void manufacturer warranties

A lot of the time, when modern render is applied to the surface of a building, it’s covered by a warranty. This means that if the render fails within a certain amount of time, the manufacturer will put it right. However, in order for a warranty to stand, the property owner has to properly clean and maintain the render. If this doesn’t happen, the warranty will be void and the property owner will have to pay for the work themselves.

Void building insurance

In many cases, building insurance is also subject to proper maintenance. If render cleaning isn’t carried out on a regular basis, an insurer may refuse to pay out when a claim is made. This is true even if the claim has nothing to do with the render or even the exterior of the property.

Render is a great choice for the external finish of both commercial and domestic properties. Simple to apply, easy to maintain and affordable, render gives the building an important waterproof layer and a smart, attractive aesthetic. In order to keep render looking good, property owners need to keep it free from algae, fungi and staining. Properly maintaining your modern render will ensure your building is protected from the elements and its exterior looks good for as long as possible. Keep reading to learn more.

Before you clean the render on the exterior of your property, you need to find out exactly what type of render it is. A number of modern renders are now on the market. Many are mixed with polymers to improve their protective qualities. Different renders need different treatments and different tools. Some renders can withstand power washing while others are too delicate to survive the process. If you are unsure what type of surface your property has, talk to the manufacturer or call in Spectrum’s specialist cleaning team.

Jet washing

Most companies that manufacture modern render, including Weber Saint Gobain and K-rend, recommend using a power or jet wash to remove stains and algae growth. Power washing will clear the surface of the render of light discolouration caused by weathering, metalwork and algae. As long as the staining is not too ingrained, a thorough power wash should restore the building to its former glory,

However, jet washing and power washing aren’t suitable for all types of render. While some modern renders are very resilient, others, like those produced by manufacturer Sto, are more delicate and can easily be damaged or eroded by a powerful jet of water. If you’re unsure whether or not your building is suitable for this type of cleaning, speak to the render manufacturer or talk to a professional render maintenance company.

Detergents

In order to get the best results from your render clean, you will need to use a little detergent. Detergent helps to lift algae and other blemishes from the surface of the render to leave it looking like new. In many cases, small areas of discolouration can be removed using just detergent and a sponge or brush. However, more stubborn stains, and properties with more extensive discolouration, will need to be cleaned using jet washing and professional tools and equipment. Again, a specialist company like Spectrum will be able to offer you advice on which detergents are most suitable for the job.

Fungicide

A lot of the time, discolouration and staining on rendered buildings is caused by the growth of fungus. Fungi can build up on buildings that are exposed to the elements and often grow beneath balconies, rooflines and close to windows. As well as discolouring the exterior of a property, fungi can damage the render itself if it is not cleaned on a regular basis. Over time, this could cause you serious issues and could lead to the building’s exterior needing to be re-rendered.

Regularly applying fungicide not only works to remove existing fungi growth, it also helps to prevent fungi re-growing in the future. This is especially true when fungicide is applied after the property has been power or jet washed.

Biocide

As well as fungi, your building’s exterior will have to contend with algae growth. Like fungi, algae grow on surfaces exposed to the elements and, like fungi, algae can seriously damage the render over time. Applying biocide during and after the cleaning process will kill existing algae and minimise regrowth. Biocide should be applied to the property at least once a year in order to prevent algae growth.

Re-rendering

Where a patch of render is severely discoloured or damaged, you can choose to re-cover the surface. As render manufacturer Wetherby suggests, removing the damaged render and re-applying modern render can be a good option. However, as you are unlikely to achieve a finish that exactly matches the rest of the property, this should only be done when you can re-render an entire panel or when cleaning is not an option.

P.A.S.T. cleaning technology

Spectrum has developed the most thorough and effective system for cleaning modern render. Our patented P.A.S.T. process brings together many of these cleaning techniques to leave your property looking like new.

The first part of the process is planning and preparation. During this stage, we will assess your property, closely examine the render and look at access. Once we have thoroughly surveyed the site, we will be able to decide which cleaning methods and processes will give us the best results.

In order to clean a property effectively and thoroughly, we then 3D print our own tools to ensure they are perfectly suited to the job. During this part of the process we will also create a plan outlining any additional challenges at the site and detailing exactly how we’re going to complete the project.

The next stage involves the application of biocide. The biocide treatment will kill any algae growing on the surface of the building. Algae can discolour and damage modern render, so it is important that as much algae is removed as possible. The biocide treatment we use is incredibly effective at killing algae and removing residue. This helps us to achieve great results from our cleaning process.

Once we have applied the biocide, we use steam to remove stains, residue and discolouration. The steam is heated to 150 degrees to make it as effective as possible. If any stains are left following the steam clean, we use a specialist treatment to remove the discolouration and leave the building looking like new.

Our patented rend-care system will help you maintain your building and keep it looking as good as possible. To help you learn everything there is to know about cleaning and maintaining modern render, we are running a series of free CPD seminars where we will go through the most cost-effective and time-efficient ways of maintaining modern render. If you are interested in attending a seminar, or if you’d like to learn more about the services we offer, contact sales@spectrumss.co.uk or take a look around our site.

Polymer-based render is becoming an increasingly popular choice for high-rise buildings, commercial properties and high-end residential builds. A polymer-based render is a term for a standard render that contains polymers as part of its ingredients.

These polymers have various properties, but are often included in the mix as they improve flexibility and weather proofing. Other benefits of polymer renders are that they’re highly adhesive, elastic and offer high impact resistance. This makes it easier for the render to be applied to the surface of a building and provides the property with better protection from the elements.

Polymer-based renders can have colour added to them before they’re applied to a building. This means you won’t have to paint the exterior of the property after the rendering is complete. Extra polymers – or different mixes of polymer – can also be added to the render to enhance its various properties.

Polymer-based render manufacturers

A number of well known manufacturers now produce polymer-based renders. This gives you an excellent choice of brands when it comes to finishing your building. Some of the most well respected manufacturers are Weber Saint Gobain, K-Rend, Sto and Wetherby.

Render has been used to protect and enhance the exterior of residential and commercial buildings for centuries. Used to cover stone, brick and other building materials, render adds an important protective layer to the outside of a building. This can help to minimise water penetration, prevent damage to the property and give the exterior a clean, smart aesthetic.

While render has been used by builders for years, it’s only relatively recently that polymers have been added to the mix to enhance the protective properties of standard render. As more and more architects and builders see the potential benefits of polymer-based render, the popularity of the material is growing.

As well as better protecting buildings from the effects of weather, polymer-based renders are also less prone to cracking and can be more easily cleaned than traditional alternatives. This makes polymer-based renders the perfect choice for property owners and managers who want to ensure their buildings look good and stay in excellent condition.

Polymer-based render is a popular choice for high-rise buildings because of its hydrophobic and protective properties. Once applied to the surface of a high-rise, polymer-based render will help to prevent water penetrating the property. As the material is tough and durable, it will only need light maintenance and should protect the building for years to come.

How many buildings are built each year with render facades?

While it is difficult to know exactly how many buildings are constructed each year with render facades, we can be confident that the number is growing rapidly. As render offers a number of practical and aesthetic benefits, it’s the ideal choice for property owners and managers who want an attractive and cost-effective solution for their buildings’ facades.

Like all building materials used to decorate, protect or clad the exterior of a building, over time, polymer-based render will be impacted by weathering, staining and algae growth. This can leave the outside of a building looking tired and discoloured.

The best way to remove stains, algae and other blemishes on a building’s rendered exterior is to use the services of a specialist cleaning company. A specialist company will be able to thoroughly and safely clean the surface of the building. By using the right equipment and the right tools, an expert contractor will be able to remove all traces of wear and tear whilst maintaining the original colour and weather proof qualities of the render.

Our services

Spectrum is proud to be an expert in cleaning and restoring buildings finished with polymer-based render. Our team uses a mix of specialist tools and techniques to remove algae, stains and other blemishes to leave a building looking like new.

Around the world, our team is transforming the face of buildings with pioneering cleaning systems. Unlike other specialists, we 3D print and manufacture our own equipment. This enables us to clean the facade of a building up to eight floors high from the safety of the ground.

In fact, we have been granted a patent on the above equipment. This means we’re the only company able to use this innovative and effective technique on rendered buildings.

As we have extensive experience cleaning render on all types of buildings, we’re perfectly placed to restore the render on your property. Our expert team use a range of tools and techniques to remove stains, algae and signs of weathering. We’re also able to clean metal cladding, wooden terraces, windows and frames, allowing us to completely transform your building from top to bottom.

If there are commercial units in the property, or neighbouring businesses that would be impacted by the work, we can schedule our clean to minimise disruption. This helps the project to run smoothly and ensures our clients remain on good terms with their neighbours.

Managing your rendered building

In general, polymer-based render needs very little upkeep. However, it will require a deep clean every once in a while. Learning how to properly maintain the render on your building will allow you to keep the exterior of the property in great condition and help you to take the right maintenance steps at the right time.

To help inform property owners and facilities managers about the ins and outs of caring for a rendered building, we’re offering a “How to maintain modern render” CPD to surveyors and property management companies. Anyone interested should get in touch to find out more.

If you’re interested in our CPD training, or if you’d just like to find out more about the innovative services we offer, get in touch with an expert member of our staff today. Alternatively, take a look around our site where you’ll find lots of in depth information on our services, our skills and our expertise.

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Spectrum Specialist Support serves the whole of London and the South East of England. Our rope access teams are available 24/7 in Central London, and are responsive and are able to deliver to tight deadlines.